Gods of Green Mountain (35 page)

On the fourth day, the soft and moist noses of the puhlets tried to nudge them into wakefulness. Ramaran was the most persistent, rilling and crying like the near baby she was, pushing at Sharita until she sat up and sleepily rubbed at her eyes. "Oh, you must be hungry," murmured the princess, moving slow and lethargically to open a bag of grain. But her strength was so small she couldn't lift the bag to empty it for the puhlets to eat. Dray-Gon was near, curled up on his side, a beard sprouting from his face. She stared at his reddish stubble, lighter than his hair, bedazedly realizing she had never seen him unshaven before, for he was meticulous at keeping himself always looking his best. That was a lot of hair to come on a face overnight. She slowly turned her head to gaze at the other sleeping men, and all of them were just as grizzled with facial hair growth. It was then she knew! They had slept for more than one night...perhaps many! Her hand rose to cover her mouth that gaped open in surprise and horror.

She fell on her knees beside Dray-Gon, gripping his shoulders and shaking him as forcefully as she could manage. "Wake up, Dray-Gon!" He groaned, and tried to turn over, resisting her efforts. "Please, please wake up!" she pleaded, and slapped his face, then shook him again. He partially opened his eyes and struggled to focus his gaze, telling her to leave him alone...he was still tired, did she have to be a nuisance morning, noon, and night?

More violently she shook him. "Damn you, barbarian! Wake, up, you uncouth, umannered, uncivilized savage!" That opened his eyes fully. Anger flooded them, as he reached as if to slap her. She seized his hand and kissed it. "Dray-Gon, I didn't mean any of that, but you've got to get on your feet and start to move! The others are all asleep too! The dim-despairs are overtaking us! We forgot we might still be subject to them. Please wake up and help me with them, or soon we'll all be curling our toes into the earth!"

Sluggishly limp, he struggled to sit up, while she grasped his hands and tugged. He stared at her in a disinterested, uncomprehending way. "Did you hear what I said?" she yelled. "We have slept for more than one night!" Only a flicker of understanding changed his expression. She threw her arms around him, raining kisses all over his scratchy face. Then his arms moved, clasping her hand against him, and his mouth closed down over hers.

Laughing, half-crying, she pulled away. So, that was the way to wake him up. "Do you want to die here, Captain Dray-Gon, before we even have a chance to know if we love each other?"

Small twin flames jumped into his disoriented eyes. "No, I don't think I'm ready yet to depart this world," he gasped as he hauled himself upright, clinging to her frail shoulders. "There might be still a few pleasures ahead."

Then, together, they wakened the other men, shaking shoulders, slapping faces, coaxing, pleading, explaining what was happening to them. Finally everyone was on their feet, staggering about, trying to eat and drink, and feed and water the animals. They looked at each other, bearded and hollow-eyed, and shaken thoroughly with what might have happened.

Dray-Gon walked to the rim of the cave, looking down into the abyss. Down there a tiger river raged, seething with white water that cascaded over the rocks. He looked upward toward a sky that no longer poured rain, but there was no way to reach the top from where they were. They couldn't climb the insurmountable--or descend to the unnavigable! They were trapped in the dim and dark cold cave...and they had the desperate need now for full sunlight. Up there was a sky with two suns, life-giving twin orbs of light, but they had no way to benefit from them. He turned to Sharita, who stood at his side, and tightly embraced her. "We are going to die here, all of us. It will take days for that river to recede!"

She put her arms around him, tilting back her head. "No, your mind is befuddled. We have the puhlets. They have led us into this canyon, and they can lead us out. All of this black land is riddled with hollow tunnels and tubes. There will be one tunnel at least that will travel upward into the light."

His smile was slow and crooked. "By the Gods, you do believe in them! I was hopefully thinking while we were feeling so desperate you might make an unconsidered declaration of some kind."

Laughing, Sharita drew him by the hand back to the others. Rule number one her father had taught her: Never make an unconsidered declaration of any kind.

The horshets were roped and linked together, and Sharita urged the lead male puhlet on into the depths of the cave. "Go on," she pleaded patting the animal's head, for she could make them do what the men couldn't, since she had played around with them more, and they loved her most. "Find us a way out of this dim dark place. Lead us up into the sunlight where the grass grows."

Dray-Gon wanted to tell her to just order them, not talk to them as if they could understand, but kept quiet since she was holding tight to his hand, showing some affection that she had held in restraint before.

With their illuminating lights held high, all followed the lead of the puhlets. Needing to crawl in some places, forcing the horshets down on their knees and dragging them forcefully through the lowest places while the horshets cried out in hurtful protest. Then from the darkness ahead, a sudden commotion among the puhlets! From the leading male came a bull-like roar as he angered, and clawed his hooves on the stone surface. Sharita saw--and she screamed!

Clarified by the lights they held was a huge wormlike thing, horned and clay white, with two bulging eyes that caught light in a thousand facets--and a gaping mouth that incessantly ground--and in that terrifying mouth was Ramaran! Sharita sobbed as Ramaran was chewed and swallowed, and the thing sluggishly humped its back to reach for another tidbit.

Dragging a weapon from his belt with hands trembling and weak from the overlong sleep, Dray-Gon aimed his laser light. The pencil-thin beam struck the tunnel wall, slicing it, causing smoke--but he had missed! The worm thing turned its head their way, sensing danger apparently, and not just food. "Use my shoulder to steady your aim," whispered Sharita, stepping in front of him.

Closer the thing humped, its head turning right, left, appearing near blind, and the projecting things on its head that they had considered only horns were feelers used to guide it, for they vibrated as it inched closer. Placing his weapon on Sharita's shoulder, Dray-Gon took more careful aim this time, waiting until the monstrous head turned fully their way, and then he fired. The beam of light split the head into two sections, and blood and brains flew everywhere as a momentary bright orange light lit the tunnel. Hugging Sharita tight against him, Dray-Gon asked, "Well, what do you think?"

"I think I need a bath," she said, looking down at the mess that adhered to her clothes.

Someone laughed. "The princess needs a bath!" Suddenly they were all laughing, almost hysterically.

"By the Gods, it looks like a maggot, or an insect larva," said Dray-Gon in awe as they crept past the pudding-like mess that had devoured Sharita's pet puhlet. They all agreed: a giant larva of some kind. "I hope we don't meet up with other members of the same family," said Raykin, casting his light everywhere.

Somberly, fearful with every foot they took forward, they crept on, following the puhlets that rilled, as if crying.

At the Feet of the Gods

H
ours later, they emerged and turned their faces upward to drink greedily of the lights of the two suns in a sky of brilliant turquoise.

We are alive! thought Dray-Gon, despite everything, we are alive! It was a good feeling. Then he sobered, seeing Sharita sitting slumped over with the small image of Ramaran cupped in her palm, the one he had so patiently whittled as a small gift for her, not knowing when he made it how it would end for that small, dainty pet of hers. "I'm sorry, Sharita," he said, very low and soft. "I wish it had been another, not the one you loved so much."

"I've got a little bit of her. See how you captured her expression, and the way she held her head." And then she was crying, turning to lay her head on his shoulder.

"Princess, don't cry!" called out Arth-Rin. "Look around and see where we are!"

Without realizing it, they had reached the Scarlet Mountains! They were now in the very midst of them, sitting in a lush green valley, surrounded by jagged red mountain peaks! The red foothills of the Gods! They had come upon them at last!

The green home of the Gods rose tall and mighty just beyond them, very close. It was frightening, sobering, awesome.

From afar they had viewed the Green Mountain every day of their lives, and wondered. Up close, they were fearful. Fascination rounded their eyes as they marveled at its smooth, rounded top, so different from the pointed jaggedness of the mountains before it. So near they were, so close to the Gods. They looked at each other speechless, quelled and cowed with the utter insignificance of being only what they were.

They were hungry, and thirsty, and they ate and drank in silence as their animals grazed about them. While they ate, drank, their eyes never left the Green Mountain.

"I thought that when we were near it, it would be as most everything else is: less than perfect," whispered Raykin, as if the Gods would hear his remark and take offense. "Even up close, it is still smooth and glossy, without a flaw."

"It's almost not a mountain at all," mused Dray-Gon.

"Well, of course, it is not just an ordinary mountain," said Sharita in the lowest possible voice, "that is why we have always known Gods lived there. They would choose the best."

"So they would, so would I, if I were a God, which, at this very moment, I am glad that I am not. At this very moment, I am very glad to be me." Dray-Gon leaped to his feet with surprising agility, considering that only hours ago Sharita had to pull him to his feet. "Let us ride on and see if the Gods are at home." With that, he extended his hand down to Sharita and assisted her up on her mount. For a second her hand rested lightly on his head, as her eyes searched his face, and then she smiled so tenderly, his heart lurched upward.

Stronger now, invigorated, full of vitality and restored youth and zest, they rode on with high expectations. To speak at last with Gods--their Gods! It was a thought to intoxicate the brain, like too much wine, and music, and beautiful dancing girls throwing provocative glances, like when he was a boy first experiencing the heady adult life. Dray-Gon cast his eyes to the princess. Her silvery, almost gold hair caught the sunlight, shimmered with it. She radiated, though she was dirty, covered with black soot, nasty green slime, and blood from that underground thing, like they all were. She was still the most beautiful thing his eyes had ever rested on. For a moment, his thoughts took wing back to Ray-Mon, and how she had said he would change. He looked down at the cheap silverlike ring on his finger with the small blue stone, and an ache started in his heart.

At that moment Sharita looked at him, seeing where his eyes were fastened. The happy smile left her face. The words she had started to say she kept unsaid. Maybe I will never say them, she thought.

Traveling slowly, not from caution, but from respectful awe, they curved down a mountainside, constantly winding down lower and lower. More and more of the home of the Gods was revealed to them. Since childhood they had looked here, toward the Mountain, fearing its power, worshipping its might, respecting and believing in the rightness and the justice of its decisions. Even when they suffered, they had kept the faith, doubting only once in a while.

Now, in entirety, they could see every bit of the Mountain, from the monumental swelling top, to the flat level bottom--to the four shining silver legs that supported it!

Legs. Four silver legs. This caused them to rein in their horshets and stare in stunned surprise! They were legs of a kind, weren't they? A mountain on legs? A rounded, smooth, glossy, green mountain supported by four silver legs. Oh, yes! Now, indeed, for a certainty they knew--this had to be the home of the Gods!

"But it is not a mountain of earth at all, or even stone," cried out Sharita. "It is a green, metallic thing!"

"Well, why not metallic?" answered Dray-Gon, imitating her manner. "Don't we prefer to construct our homes of something better than dirt and stone?"

That was reasonable, good logic. Yet, they had not suspected this. Raykin rode up alongside of Dray-Gon. "So, we have reached the Green Mountain. Look what we have. Now tell me, Captain, how are we going to climb those long, slick, slanting legs, to knock upon that green door?"

It was Arth-Rin's turn now. "Why should we have to knock upon their door? They are Gods. They see and know everything. So it is reasonable to presume they are looking at us this very minute. We will wait for them to speak to us."

This was discussed. They were not, any of them, too certain of the soundness, or protocol, of Arth-Rin's theory. They would obey the rules of etiquette, if only they knew the rules. However, they had no other solution as yet--and the silver legs were indeed a most formidable obstacle!

Sharita looked down at herself, shuddering at what she saw. Hoping very much the Gods in their high home would be looking in another direction this very moment, and would give her time to bathe and change into clean clothes before she was invited inside. She had a special gown packed carefully for the occasion.

Upon a high level plateau they hurriedly set up camp, the big tent for the princess first, so she could take that bath, and wash her hair, and make herself presentable with the jewels and crown appropriate for this presentation that went beyond imagination. They staked the horshets with long ropes so they could graze, and allowed the tractable puhlets to amble about as they would. There was verdant growth everywhere, between the rocks, on the ground, even sprouting long around the silver legs.

For the remainder of the day they waited for the Gods in their green home to see them, to take some notice of them, sitting so respectfully quiet in their clean and very best clothes. The gold and silver on the smoke-blue uniforms sparkled in the dying sunlight. The crystal crown, studded with jewels, shimmered a myriad of colors on the beautifully coiffured head of the princess. At first they stood and waited to be seen and invited inside, but soon that grew tiresome. Then they sat on camp chairs that could be folded compactly. As the two sunsets flared brilliant, and then blackened into night, they knelt and prayed, and politely suggested an audience. Not demanding, not speaking of the long, arduous journey to get here, just reminding that they were here.